Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday defended its decision not to take any action against Jose Vargas, a journalist and activist who went public last year that he was an undocumented immigrant, after he was arrested by state patrol in Minnesota for a driving infraction.

“Mr. Vargas was not arrested by ICE, nor did the agency issue a detainer,” said ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen in a statement. “ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of public safety threats, recent border crossers and egregious immigration law violators, such as those who have been previously removed from the United States.”

Vargas, who made public his status as an undocumented immigrant last year in a story he wrote for The New York Times, was initially pulled over on Friday for driving while wearing headphones. He did not produce a valid driver’s license, a Minnesota state patrol spokesman told POLITICO on Saturday, and a state liaison to ICE was contacted. The liaison spoke with Vargas, but the agency ultimately didn’t pursue action, according to state patrol and ICE officials.